Self-adjusting friction-gear.



No. 726,461. PATENTED APR. 28, 1903.:

G. T. RENNERFELT.

SELF ADJUSTING FRICTION GEAR.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 2, 1902.

10 MODEL.

wit meme;

UNITED STAT S Pnrnwr Orricn.

GUSTAV T. RENNERFELT, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO ELECTRITECOMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SELF-:ADJUSTBNG FRlCTlON GEAR.

SFEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 726,461, dated April28, 1903. Application filed August 2, 1902. Serial. No. 118,063- (llomodel.)

T0 (0 whom, it nuty concern.-

Be it known that I, GUSTAV T. RENNER- FELT, a subject of the King ofSweden and Norway, residing in the borough of Brooklyn, city of NewYork, State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement inSelf-Adjusting Friction-Gear, of which the following is a specification.7

My invention has particular reference to s 'ieed-reducing gears actingthrough frictional contact between the peripheries of the wheelsemployed.

One advantage of importance incident to the use of this invention liesin the absence of any hearing at the working end of the highspeed shaft.The lessening in loss of power thus accomplished is obvious.

In my invention I employ a sun-and-planet gear so arranged that theplanet-wheels have no fixed hearing within the yoke which carriesthem,but float, so to speal ,wit-hin said yoke, thus constituting adirect support between the central driving or driven gear and the outergear or track on which said planetwheels roll. By this expedient I amenabled to compensate for wear on the peripheries 'with certainty ofconstant efficient action,

since the perfectly compact interaction and mutual support of all theparts is independent of differences in rate of wear at different points.

My invention also involves in its preferred forms certain details ofconstruction herein-.

after pointed out and set forth clearly in my claims hereto appended.

One form of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings,wherein Figure l is a section through a combined electric motorandfriction-gear constructed'in accordancewith said invention. Fig.2 isa face view of my planet-wheels, showing their supporting-yoke insection; and Fig. 3 is a detail View in section of the middle portion ofsaid yoke.

In the drawings I have shown my invention as applied to reduction of thespeed of an electric motor,whose stationary member(fieldmagnet) 1 isfixed within'the casing 2 and whose rotating member (armature) 3 iscarried by the driving'shaft 4. The casing 2 is divided into twocompartments by the partition 5, through which the shaft 4 passes,carrying on its extremity the frictional drivingwheel of conical shape0. The ideal apex of the cone-wheel 6 is far to the left in the figure,and the angle between diametrically opposed elements of said cone ismade quite small, so that a small end pressure on the driving-shaft mayproduce a considerable pressure between said driving-wheel and the threeor more planet cone-wheels 7, which surround the wheel 6.

The inner surface of the casing2 is formed into a conical track 8,surrounding and making frictional engagement with the wheels 7. Theideal apex of this conical track is substantially coincident with thatof the drivingwheel 6, and the same is true of the conicalplanet-wheels. A yoke 9 is formed in two plates on opposite sides of theplanet-wheels, said plates being joined by the integral crosspieces 10between the wheels. Extending outward from each of the cheek-plates ofthe yoke is a hollow shaft. These two shafts 11 and 12 are in alinementwith each other. Shaft 11 has a bearing in the partition 5, while theshaft 12, which is not necessarily hollow, has its bearing in the outercasing. The driving-shaft 4 passes through the hollow shaft 11, but isso much smaller than the bore of said shaft as never to make contacttherewith. Thus the working end of the driving-shaft is supported solelyby the planetwheels and conical track 8, all friction and consequentloss of power at the point 11 being thus avoided.

While the yoke 9 embraces the planetwheels 7, it does not support themin any sense. As shown, the yoke carries screwpins 13, preferablysurrounded by antifriction-sleeves 14, and the planet-wheels arecentrally bored out so widely as to leave a substantial space betweensaid wheels and the pins around'which they revolve. The only point ofcontact will of course be where the interior of the bore of eachplanetwheel presses against the sleeve 1a to drive the yoke forward toimpel the shaft 12.

Any desired means may be employed to press the shaft 4: and its wheel 6toward the ideal apex of the Wheel. In the drawings I ation of the motorthe magnetic reaction between the two members thereof will tend tothrust armature and shaft to the left in the figure. I can use thesetogether or one at a time, or in some cases gravity may be employed forthis purpose without departing from my invention.

It will be clear on consideration that the tendency of the driving-wheeltoward its own ideal apex will produce a strong pressure between saidWheel and the planet-wheels 7, which is immediately transmitted to thetrack 8 without interference from the shaft or its pivots, since themounting described permits of a substantial amount of free movement ofthe planet-wheels to and from the drivingwheel in their midst. Moreover,the shape of the wheels and their mutual arrangement are such that inproportion as wear occurs, either at thetrack 8 or at the wheel 6, itwill be antomatically and instantly taken up by longitudinal movement ofthe shaft 4 and wheel 6.

The angle made between the line of contact between each wheel 7 and thetrack 8 and the axis of said wheel should not be made too small, as thiswould require too fine workmanship on the wheels; but it should not bemade greater than the angle of friction existing between the substancesconstituting the peripheries of the said Wheels 6 and 7 and the saidtrack 8. By restricting this angle, as above stated, there ispractically no crowding tendency produced in the planet-wheels by thethrust of the drivingwheel, and thus I avoid all necessity ofthrust-bearings between the hubs of the planet-wheels and the cheeks ofthe yoke 9, which would otherwise be required to keep the planet-wheelsin position with a minimum of friction.

A variety of changes might be made in several parts of my device withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention, and I am not to be understoodas limiting myself to the details as herein shown and described.

What I claim is- 1. In means for transmitting power, a driving-shaft, afriction-Wheel of conical periphery thereon and a transmitting-yoke soarranged that there is a free space between the end of said shaft andsaid yoke; in combination with conical planet-wheels carried by saidyoke each having its ideal apex substantially coincident with that ofsaid firstnamed wheel and its periphery in contact with that ofsaidwheel, a conical abutment embracing said planet-wheels and means forpressing said driving-wheel along its axis in the direction of its idealapex.

2. In means for transmitting power, a yoke formed of two parts in onepiece, conical frictional planet-wheels between the parts of said yoke,a centrally-located friction-wheel making contact with all of saidplanetwheels and a conical abutment surrounding said planet-wheels andin contact with their peripheries.

3. In means for transmitting power, two shafts in line, one of which ishollow, bearings for said, shafts, a yoke joining said shafts, drivenplanet-wheels in said yoke, a conical abutment embracing said wheels, acentral driving-wheel and a driving-shaft of materially less diameterthan the bore of said hollow shaft supporting said wheel and passingthrough said hollow shaft.

4. In means for transmitting power, two shafts in line, one of which ishollow, bearings for said shafts, a yoke in one piece joining saidshafts and integral with them, driven conical planet-wheels in saidyoke, a conical abutment surrounding and making contact with saidplanet-wheels, a central conical driving wheel making contact with saidplanet-wheels,a driving-shaft supporting said driving-wheel and passingthrough said hollow shaft and means for pressing said shaft and itswheel toward the ideal apex of the latter.

5. In self-adjusting friction-gearing, a central conical friction-wheeland conical planetwheels surrounding the same and having a common idealapex substantially coincident with that of said central wheel; incombination with a yoke carrying said planetwheels on loose pivotspermitting substantial movement to and from said central wheel and aconical abutment surrounding and making contact with said planet-wheels.

6. In self-adjusting friction-gearing, a conical driving-wheel, a shafttherefor having no bearings next said wheel a conical abutment and a setof conical wheels mounted to freely move to and from said driving-wheeland rolling within and against said abutment and affording the solesupport for said driving-wheel.

7. In self-adjusting friction-gearing, a conical central driving-wheel,conical planetwheels in contact therewith and a conical abutmentsurrounding said planet-wheels all so constructed and proportioned thateach line of contact between said planet-wheels and abutmentmakes anangle with the axis of such wheel not greater than the angle of frictionbetween the surfaces so in contact.

8. A driving shaft, a conical frictionwheel thereon, conical planetwheels surrounding said friction-wheel and each having its ideal apexsubstantially coincident with that of said friction-wheel and a conicalabutment surrounding and making contact with said planet wheels; incombination with an electric motor having a fixed member and a rotatingmember so mounted upon said driving-shaft as to tend by its magneticelfort to push said driving-wheel toward its ideal apex.

GUSTAV T. RENNERFELT.

Witnesses:

EDWARD G. ROWLAND, CHARLES CALDWELL.

